Battery lead connection or clamp



Aug. 7, 3928. v LOSOEOII J. P. BIHL ET AL V BATTERY LEAD CONNECTION OR CLAMP Filed April 22, 1926 LEM-5J 8,3? W flag wa Gttmm Patented Aug. 7, 1928.

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JOHN P. BIHL AND HENRY J. IBIHL, OF NEWPORT, KENTUCKY.

I Application filed April 22, 1926. Serial N 'o. 103,991.

This invention relates to detachable lead connections or clamps for the positive and negative terminal-posts of the-opposite endcells of storage-batteries that contain a multiple-of jars or cells and are used,imore particularly, in automobile and other like service.

Heretofore, the lead clamp-connections have been made to fit somewhat closely or rather too snugly on the said posts so that a free circulation of air around the joint, or the posts, has been prevented and whatever b slight space there is in such joint has been the seat of an undue collection of acid-solution from the cells to cause corrosion, and a tough, hard deposit results that renders the removal of the said clamp-connections extremely tedious and diffioult, and, otherwise, a very poor and defective connection and conductivity are present between the battery and the conductor-lines, such forcing tools or implements as wrenches, chisels, hammers, screw-drivers and the like being resorted to and required, to a greater or lesser extent, to both apply and to loosen or remove, the said clamp-connections, and constant danger of the said tools slipping from place and striking thecell filler-caps and otherwise breaking or injuring them being always-possible and causing considerable ex pense and inconvenience in the handling and use of such battery-connections that thus become very objectionable and more or less costly and useless for any extended service.

Our invention aimsto correct all the said defects, as there will be no hammer, chisel,

wrench, screwdriver, or any .such tools needed to apply our lead-connection, or to detach it, because it contains a pair of separable jaw-members that have serrated or grooved inner faces .which readily impinge in clamping-place on the terminal-posts and are thus duly freed from any tendency of said acid-solution to seep into the joint, and thus, also, resulting in a clean connection at all times that can be made at a moments notice and without skilled help being required in doing so. q

The details of structure will be fully hereinafter described and elucidated in connectionwith the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which Figure 1 1s a plan view of a storage-battery in present common use and showing one of our improved clamp-connections at the upper left-hand corner thereof, in the view,

obj ecand for the convenience of more readily impressing the difierence between them in the one battery in a more comprehensive manner than if several batteries were shown to ring out such contrast; F1g.'2, a dlsassembled perspective view showlng all of the several parts of our improved clamp-connec-- tion; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section of the new clamp, including -a' broken-off end of the upper cable or conductor-wire that is inserted and soldered, in the usual manner, in using-place in the socket provided therefor in the main one of the two jaw-members of the clamp;Fig. 4, a transverse section of the new clamp taken on the dotted-line 4,

4, of Fig. 3 and including the cable-insert; and Fig. 5, a transverse section of the said new clamp taken on the dotted-line 5, 5, of Fig. 3, and showing the slip-bolt fastening at a right-angle to that of Fig. 3, for both clearness and accuracy of view.

A indicates the battery-casing usual separators or partitions B, B, for the independent placing or insertion of the cells C, D and E therein, the customary inter-cell connectors or conductors F being used for coupling the positive and negative terminalposts of the several cells in due succession along the casing. The jars or cells are supplied with the usual caps G. 1

Our improved or new form of clamp-connection is shown in using-position on. the round, positive terminal-post 6 in the far end of the left-hand cell C and the old form of clamp-connection (that it is our endeavor herein to rectify) is shown in contrasting place on the negative terminal-post 7 in the having the near end of the right-hand cell E of the bat- 12 and nut ,13 for drawing and securing the said semicircular jaws intight and snug" clamping-place n the upper protruding end of the said negative terminal-post Now, this old form fits entirely too snug upon the post and it causes the acid-solution to suckup or seep very easily into the joint around the said post, where it becomes clogged and corroded, and firmly encrusted, very diifi cult to remove and then only with tools of some kind to do so, as first-above mentioned. Such a joint makes a very poor and defective connection on account of saidcorrosion and, when applying or putting on one of these old forms, a wrench must always be used to properly tighten it for the said snug closure of the said jaws 9 and 10 on the post 7, and it also requires a wrench to loosen it, and thus quite frequently additional tools, such as chisels and hammers, to

pry or force it oil of the terminal-post, when excessive corrosion has taken place, the application of such force and the handling of such tools many times risking the slip of the wrench or one of the other tools to come sion 15 that is narrowed down from a,

curved corner or face 16, and a socket 17 is provided at its other end for the fasteningreception of the cable or terminal 18 leading from the positive-post 6 of the battery through our'new form of clamp-connection.

' The said main jaw-member 14 of our said new form of clamp has a tapered rightangled lateral-extension 19 whose inner curvular-face is serrated or sharp-toothed at .20, and it, also, has a transverse T-shaped outer end 21, as best shown in Fig. 2. The

tail-extension 15 of the jaw-member 14 is.

open-slotted or bifurcated, as also best seen at 22 in Fig. 2, for the purpose we will shortly refer to. The said T-shape outer end 21 of the tapered lateral-extension 19 of the main aw-member 14 is slightly rounded or beveled at 23 along its inner edge, as best seen in Figs. 2 and 3. A companion locker jaw member 24 is provided for coaction with the main jaw-member 14, and it has a corresponding curvular inner face that is serrated or sharp-toothed at 25, an open-slotted fiat arm or extension 26 being constructed at one end thereof and another open-slotted flat arm or extension 27 being constructed at its other end, the last named extension 27 coinciding with the open-slotted tail-extension 15 of the main jaw-member 14, and having laterally-turned or right-angled lugs. or heels 28, 28, as best shown in Fig. 2, but,

also, well shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5, A

jaw-member 14 and that 27-of the companion jaw-member 24 together .when the two jaw-members are in assembled relation in gripping-contact with the-upper extendedend of the terminal-post 6. The said horizontal bolt 29 is used to hold the two I coinciding open-slotted ends 15, 22 of the bolt 29 has a. square head 30 which seats against turning in the space provided between the laterally-turned heels 28 and the corner or angle 31 at the beginning of the outwardly-swelled portion of the said companion locker jaw-member 24, and a wingnut 32 is. further "provided at the opposite threaded-end of the bolt for impingement against the flat face of the said open-slotted tail-extension 15, 22, of the main jaw-member 14 in the clamping-action of the new device claimed herein.

When assembling the said two jaw-members 14 and 24, the T-shaped outer end 21 of the lateral-extension 19 of the. main jawmember 14 is freely engaged with the openslotted extension 26 of thecompanion jawmember 24 so that said slotted extension 26 liesin' free contact with the inner faces of "the'lateral wings of the said T-shape end 21, and, when the said wing-nut 32 is loosed, even very slightly, the said companion jawmember 24 can be drawn lengthwise very easily from engagement with the T-end 21 of the main jaw-member for the quick and easy, simple release of the jaw-member 24 and the bolt, together with its wing-nut,

simultaneously,- from any further locking or clamping engagement with the said main jaw-member and thus releasing both; jawmembers from engagement with the said terminal-post 6 without the use of any. imp1e-.

ments or tools at all, the wing-nut being easily manipulated by the'thumb and fin gers, or, if a very tight engagement of the clamp is required or desired, a pair of ordinary pliers can be resorted to that will not be in danger of breaking the adjacent top or cover of the 'cell, as the wingnut-part of the clamp is located near the outer side of the casing and well remote from said cover, while, it will be seen in Fig. 1, in connection with the old form of clamp, how the ordinary fastening-nut 13 lies so close to the cell cover or lid G that there is always more or less danger of vanimplement breaking that lid in an effort to place-or to remove the nut, as hereinbefore stated.

It is obvious that the internal teeth or serrations of the pair of jaw-members 14-and 24 will hold in position on the post much better than the smooth form of inner faces of the j aw-members of the old form of clamp seen in Fig. 1, and that no undue corrosion in such a joint will likely ensue against the ready removal at any time of our new serrated form of air-vented clamp. In cold Weather, when it is more difiicult. as a rule,

without any tools,

- arc-shape main-portions,

to remove battery terminal-post clamps, our form of clamp can be worked so easily and by simply loosening the wing-nut and its two parts or jaw-members then slipped apart or separated without effort, and, of course, just as easily put together or assembled in place.

There will be no greater cost to supply our new clamp" over that of the old form, and time, as well as other expense, can be mate- I rially saved thereby.

We claim 1. A battery lead connection or clamp comprising, in combination, a pair of inde-- pendent separable jaw-members each of the latter having internally serrated or toothed one'of said jawmembers being the inain one that is provided at one end with a laterally-projecting T- shape arm and a socket for the securing-end of the lead wire or cable and at its other end provided with an open slot or recess, and the other one of said jaw-members being a locking one that is provided with an open slot or recess at one end for co-engagement with thesaid T-shape arm of the main jawmember and at its other end provided with an open slot or recess that coincides and registers, in use, with the open slot or recess of the said main headed bolt that is adapted to engage the said registering open-slotted ends of the main and locking j aw-members and provided with a winged fastening-nut, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a battery lead-connection, the combination of-a main internally-toothed arched jaw-member, and a squarejaw-member having a T-shape lateral arm and a cable-socket at one end and a pair of narrowed and spaced arms or projections or otherwise open-slotted at its other end, a companion arched, internally-toothed locker jaw-member provided independent of the said main jaw-member and having an openslotted formation at one end to interlock and coact, in use, with the said T-shape lateral armof the main jaw-member and, also, having at its opposite end a pair of narrowed and spaced arms or projections or otherwise open-slotted to coincide and coact with the said open-slotted end of the main jaw-member, outwardly-turned heels or lugs at the outer ends of the said spaced arms of the locker jaw-member to form a detent-seat, a bolt having a square head at one end adapted to seat, against turning, in said detent-seat of the locker jaw-member, and awinged fastening-nut adapted to engage the threaded outer end of the said bolt with its base in contact with the outer face of the said narrowed spaced arms at one end of the main jaw-member, the whole being arranged and coupled together in such a free and easy manner as to form a ready cast-oflt' when it is desired to disconnect the clamp from connecting-place at the upper end of the battery terminal-post, and the said two internally serrated or toothed jaw-members having free air-vent passages between them and the post, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof We havehereunto aflixed our signatures.

JOHN P. BIHL. HENRY J. 'BIHL. 

